Groomer Injures Dog At North Bay Petco; Company Balks At Paying Vet Bills

NOVATO (KPIX 5) -- A Bay Area woman is demanding answers and money for injuries she says her pet suffered at the hands of a dog groomer.

Roz Hartman said she took her daughter's Shih-Tzu, Joey, to a Novato Petco for grooming services.

When Hartman later picked up Joey, he was walking on three legs, she said. Hartman said the groomer admitted to yanking on its leg when it wouldn't stand up for the grooming.

"We put him down on the counter, and he couldn't put his right rear paw down," said Hartman. When Hartman took Joey to the veterinarian, he was diagnosed with a dislocated hip.

The vet showed Hartman the X-ray. "On the screen, the femur is supposed to fit into the [hip] socket ... in Joey's X-ray, the socket was here and the femur was next to it."

Hartman  said Petco offered to pay the veterinarian bills, but then dragged its feet after Joey's bills totaled $6,900 for surgery to repair damage to its hip.

Petco had told KPIX 5 it is reviewing the veterinarian bills and was working with Hartman on reaching a resolution.